Glass Cliffs Research Articles

Glass ceilings, glass cliffs or new worlds?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to set out some contextual issues in relation to the achievements of women accountants and academics.Design/methodology/approachThis is a discussion paper that uses academic and professional experiences as a basis from which to draw out an agenda for further study.FindingsIt is found that, despite changes over the last 30 years, the lived experience of women in accounting and academia is evidence that their academic and professional opportunities are still constrained. Two papers in this special issue offer feminist approaches to enrich study in the area, and it is argued that gender is an element that should be embedded in research in accounting.Research limitations/implicationsThis editorial is a selective review and is not intended as a comprehensive review of research in the field.Practical implicationsThe paper seeks to re‐ignite more research in the field, using a richer range of approaches.Originality/valueThe paper sets an agenda for research and provides an argument as to why the agenda needs to be pursued.

The Glass Cliff: Exploring the Dynamics Surrounding the Appointment of Women to Precarious Leadership Positions

In this paper we explore the “glass cliff” form of discrimination. We review archival and experimental evidence of the glass cliff and identify multiple processes as having the potential to contribute to the phenomenon. We also outline a range of potential reactions to the phenomenon, and we elaborate strategies for eliminating glass cliffs, but, as with other forms of (gender) discrimination, we argue that these depend on the capacity for disadvantaged groups to overcome resistance on the part of those who are motivated to maintain the status quo.